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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23242828">Rise of Dearborn</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/maredonald/pseuds/maredonald'>maredonald</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>R.O.D VERSE [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Original Work, Rise of Dearborn</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/F, F/M, Major Original Character(s), Multi, Original Character(s), Original Fiction</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 14:48:43</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,708</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23242828</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/maredonald/pseuds/maredonald</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>As darkness consumes the Land of Dearborn, the battle for their home begins. Acts of selfishness and selfness will be required, a group of misfits immune to the spell escapes but will they do the right thing ?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>R.O.D VERSE [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1671154</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Lucinda</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is sort of an ongoing story I am currently working on, the goal is to push out a chapter each day to keep myself motivated. The tale was based of a dream I had once and it felt interesting enough, to me at least that I'd like to dive more into !</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>𝕮arriages had never been lucinda’s preferred mode of transportation, especially when riding on the uneven roads of ransom lore . the whole being trapped in a crate with a small window was absolutely miserable , and to have talkative passengers onboard ? what a dreadful fate . travelling by carriage also meant potentially being the target of raiders stalking in behind the tree line , waiting to strike poor unsuspecting victims .


</p><p>the raiders of ransome lore weren’t even marauders who needed the gold and possessions stolen . . . they’re simply a group of crusaders who had nothing better to do than preying on the wealthy and even the poor . they clearly don’t discriminate .


</p><p>“ quit that . “ lucinda said , her voice was monotonous and slightly raspy —— swirls of ocean blue and chestnut , that were the hues of her eyes pierced through the olive skinned male who sat across from her . “ whatever , 𝒎𝒊𝒔𝒔 𝒃𝒐𝒓𝒆𝒅-𝒕𝒐-𝒅𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉 “ deevash whispered as he continued tapping his fingers against the arm rest , in a repeated wave motion while turning his head towards the window .


</p><p>what a grand idea ! . . . putting a bunch of misfits with nothing in common inside a box . although, it wasn’t if they had much of a choice in the matter . the entirety of dearborn has crumbled , the divine one had plagued the land with his curse , consuming the memories of the villagers leaving them as empty husks subjective to his brain washing . except for them ... somehow , they were immune to his magic which in a way would be considered lucky ; being enslaved sounded unpleasant to say the least, but at the same time was it truly a gift of luck ? to be forced out of their home , to become fugitives and have nowhere to go .</p><p>lucinda shifted her gaze onto the auburn haired female sitting next to her ; the sunlight danced on her pale ivory skin , faded freckles sprinkled across her reddish cheeks and her eyes — lucinda couldn’t help but find them mesmerising they reminded her of leaves in the autumn , a warmth and sense of familiarity although lucinda had never seen this girl before until this unfortunate incident . . .</p><p>deevash groaned , his entire body slumping against the seat . “ we have to speak eventually . . . how about we talk about what just happened ? “ lucinda was certain she caught the redhead flinching , 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒐𝒌𝒂𝒚 ? was what lucinda wanted to say but didn’t . “ that bastard burnt our homes to the ground . everyone we know is -"</p><p>“ shut up . “ lucinda demanded for the male who was getting more aggravated with each word to stop . “ don’t tell me to shut up . “ he pointed at her accusingly on the verge of getting from his seat . if the raven haired girl sitting next to him , hadn’t shoved him back down a fight could’ve ensued . “ i said shut up or i will , sew that snapping mouse trap of yours shut . “ she kept her voice down , although everyone could hear the annoyance in her tone .</p><p>without a notice their carriage came to a halt , sending those within it to hit against the wooden walls . “ what happened ? “ the auburn haired girl questioned , her hand moving towards the back of her head that had collided with the headboard . “ horses got tired ? i reckon i could talk some sense into them... “ lucinda rolled her eyes at deevash and his ridiculous remark .</p><p>“ sir ? “ lucinda waited for the coachman’s response. silence consumed the atmosphere once more , the crew only being able to hear the faint chirping of birds in the distance and the wind whistling . as lucinda stood she lowered her head and manoeuvred towards the exit , gloved hands flipped the lock over and pushed the door open . “ sir ... “ she said once more before stepping outside , the heel of her boots clicking as it met with the rocky ground .</p><p>“ meg wait ! “ the brunette heard watching as the redhead emerged from the carriage, climbing down the two step stairs . “ don’t even try to rebuttal “ lucinda nodded ; not as if she was going to disagree in the first place . . .</p><p>as lucinda began walking towards the front of the carriage, before she could make the turn , megara studied the tattoos that snaked around the brunette’s leg . both of them were filled with various inks which she hadn’t noticed before —— some that sent chills down her spine, they looked so realistic... megara could’ve sworn she saw the cobra that coiled around lucinda’s right calf wink at her .</p><p> </p><p>“ meg was it ? “</p><p> </p><p>“ megara actually ... but meg works just as fine i suppose. “ lucinda acknowledged with a single nod . “ well mystery solve . our dear-old getaway driver is .... “ the brunette picked up his wrist checking for a pulse, “ out cold . “ her eyes scanned their surroundings, her ears listening tentatively for a rattle or rustle . things couldn’t get more complicated could it ? they were runaways and now victims to the notorious ransom lore bandits — or whatever they called themselves, lucinda couldn’t be bothered .</p><p>a sudden scream irrupted causing the two to turn in unison , the sound clearly coming from inside the carriage . lucinda and megara jogged towards the side where the entrance was , “ whats wrong ? “ meg asked sticking her head inside glancing left and right . “ rat ! there was a rat ! “ deevash fussed pointing under the empty seat , lucinda let out a breathy laugh . “ that’s actually mine . “ the brunette confessed reaching her hand under the seat and carefully picking up the squeaking creature . “ you have a rat ? “</p><p>before lucinda could speak the snapping of branches interrupted , followed by the sound of firearms being loaded . li ann’s smile falter as the sound of faint footsteps pinched her ears , her grey eyes stayed staring at one position as she sat up . “ the divine ones army ? “</p><p>“ raiders . “ lucinda corrected deevash . her gloved hands moved towards the hem of her crimson skirt , lifting it slightly revealing a rather detailed dagger inked into her lap . after running her fingers over the weapon it peeled off her skin and materialised a silver dagger in her grip .</p><p>deevash gawked as lucinda brought the art edged into her skin to reality . . . the abnormal certainly wasn’t something that surprised him but he must admit , that was cool . “ these raiders are wasting their time ... we have nothing valuable for them . “ megara noted , and she was right . they had nothing but the clothes on them and three cans of beans ; there had originally been five but everyone gets hungry eventually —— even horses . lucinda shook her head begrudgingly at the naive girl .</p><p>“ no fixed agendas darling “ deevash chirped as he stepped over li ann’s legs , flicking the redheads nose causing it to scrunch up . as soon as he left the safety and comfort of the carriage he stretched his arms overhead and grinned , “ whoa whoa, what do you think you’re doing ? “ megara asked , her hands met with the males muscular arm holding him back . “ if its a fight they want , its a fight they’ll get love “ he winked , his tone was laced with condescending confidence .</p><p>“ says the guy who got frightened by a rat ... last time i saw them , they weren’t very intimidating. “ li ann commented her head turning to what she assumed was deevash’s direction, unfortunately she was facing lucinda who gently tilted li ann’s face towards deevash with a finger . “ stay inside “ lucinda said softly to li ann before closing the door shut , leaving the rather tiny statured female inside engulfed by darkness , not that she’d notice or care .</p><p>lucinda felt a gush of wind and from the corner of her eyes spotted a blurry blackness zooming by her , she turned stepping forward in a ready stance and dagger in a reverse grip ; the cutting edge facing her opposer . the battle between darkness and light began without a second to lose , not a hint of hesitation in their movements , the clanging on their weapons irrupting into the air .</p><p>“ care to lend a hand ? “ megara struggled pushing her assailant off , the grip she had around their wrists began to sting as if their hands were held over a lit candle wick . regardless of how hard they squirmed under her touch megara did-not-let-go .</p><p>“ how about a paw ? “ megara glared at him with a look of unamusement .</p><p>deevash leaped over the raider charging at him , yanking the stygian hood over their head . while pulling the fabric that blocked their vision away , the raider heard a low growl coming from where deevash had vanished . a tiger with white fur and brown stripes instead of the traditional black came pouncing onto the raider , it’s sharp teeth revealing themselves . “ 𝒖𝒏𝒃𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒗𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆 ... “ lucinda mumbled to herself in disbelief after catching a glimpse of this sight —— he was a shape shifter , a therian .</p><p>the brunette stumbled , using her swaying balance to her advantage ; kicking off from the ground and somersaulting backwards , while flipping back onto her feet she steadied her aim and flung her dagger watching as it lodged into their shin disabling them . the excruciating pain coming from his crimson leaking wound caused him the fall on one knee , his hand pressed again the gravel . “ i wouldn’t do that . “ lucinda had a nerve chilling blank expression wiped across her face , as he tried to remove the blade from his leg . “unless you want to bleed out . “</p><p>the tiger on the prowl prevented itself from completely shredding those who dared approach him apart . while deevash was in control —— the natural predator instinct was rather addictive and hard to resist .</p><p>before a raider clad in armor and leather strappings could bring his sword down on the unsuspecting pyromaniac megara , a king cobra came soaring his way . its scaly body wrapped around the blade seemingly unbothered by the sharp edge cutting into its underside . the hamadryad twisted its head irascibly at the man , hissing and snapping its jaw while jutting forward as he tried to distance himself from the coiled snake .</p><p>“ simmer down bernard “ lucinda commanded “ or don’t ,whatever . “ she added shrugging her shoulders , letting go of the snakes tail allowing it freedom . ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀<br/>
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Kyro</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>𝕶yro cussed under his breath . when raised by the ransom lore raiders , you’re taught to never give up and that did include having a bloody dagger sojourned in your shin . even if their numbers were rising and their back-ups were swarming in one after the other . these people weren’t as vulnerable as they had originally expected — a misjudgment made on their behalf .</p>
<p>a wind came in blowing gently against lucinda’s hair , her shadow growing larger the closer she had gotten to kyro , eventually looming over him as he groaned on the ground . the boy couldn’t quite put his finger on it but she looked rather familiar . . . a little more taller than he had remembered and her hair was longer but the messy curls remained ; it reeled in memories he had suppressed of the past . but it was clear to kyro that lucinda didn’t have a drop of recognition as to who he was .</p>
<p>the male didn’t just notice her physical appearance throughout their entire fight , she made a routine of glancing at the carriage . there was something in there , something valuable he assumed . whatever its was , kyro needed to get his dirt and blood covered hands on it .</p>
<p> </p>
<p>and with a cheeky side smirk and a single wink , kryo sunk and vanished into a cloud of blackness that left lucinda heaving . she watched as the smoke dissolved into trails and then like the one who created it , vanished . lucinda couldn’t quite shake his appearance from her brain . . . his golden curls that framed his face perfectly, emerald green eyes and porcelain skin with sprinkled freckles around his face they a little darker than his skin tone . he reminded lucinda of someone she knew once . . . while technically she still knew him , or it ? the terminology was complicated in a sense but still ... it left her a little empty inside , consumed by a sensation of discomfort and regret .</p>
<p>the carriage swayed as kyro stepped out of the shadows and into the tight space , the metallic scent of his blood immediately filled the inside causing li ann’s nose to tingle . his eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness , but without a moment to turn and notice the girl sitting in silence behind him , he heard the clicking of a gun . “ i wouldn’t move if i were you . “ she lowered her voice , as an attempt to intimidate the intruder .</p>
<p> </p>
<p>this wasn’t the first time kyro had been held at gun point , although he was at a disadvantage ... the throbbing in his injured leg was becoming unbearable by the second , the dagger that was lodged into his shin was ... disappearing ? kyro could feel the blade slipping out from his wound, the only thing keeping him from bleeding out .</p>
<p>kyro felt the barrel of the gun pressed to a spot on his back . he could hear the hesitation in her breathing , she was scared ; even when her carefully calculated moves were trying to prove otherwise .</p>
<p>the shadows relayed information of his environment back to kyro as a cluster of whispers , he chuckled at the things he heard . poor girl was going to dislocate her arm if she were to pull that trigger... no professional or even someone with a basic understanding of firearms , would ever shoot with their arms pulled close to their chest . then again would it matter ? if she did fire regardless of the consequences , he would still have a bullet sent through him and that itself was an unpleasant thought . being stabbed , shot and potentially dying wasn’t exactly on his agenda for the night .</p>
<p>actually kyro wanted to waltz into the town of ransom lore . dressed in a black coat and hidden beneath was a suit plus a top hat cause he felt fancy . strolling to the bar and having a couple drinks to ease himself from the tiresome week of thievery . unfortunately his plans were foiled when their carriage decided to pass through these woods , and he was just on his way out before being dragged into the loop.</p>
<p>“ listen , i don’t want to be shot tonight and you probably don’t want to have your arm fractured by the amateur way you’re holding that gun . which might i add the recovery process will be a drag ...“ kyro said confidently but li ann could hear the break in his voice “ so lets call it truce and we both go on our merry way , how does that sound ? “ li ann paused , her silence kept him on the edge and if she hadn’t had the gun pointed to his back . kyro would’ve assumed she had disappeared, leaving him speaking to the air .</p>
<p> </p>
<p>outside pandemonium still reigned but the odds were begin to lean towards the favour of lucinda and the others . not that kyro would know ... he was a tad bit distracted within the carriage, the muffled sounds of guns being fired , metal clashing and animalistic growls was all he could make out .</p>
<p>“ i’m almost out ! “ megara and lucinda were pinned back to back ,thus the tides were turning once more ... “ what ? “ the brunette sighed irritatedly , pyromaniacs drew energy to fuel their powers through the sun ... and unfortunately for them the sun had disappeared behind the horizon, in turn leaving megara dried . no sun , no powers . which was starting to make a lot more sense as to why megara was acting so cautiously and wasn’t sputtering flames everywhere .</p>
<p> “ don’t . “ lucinda side stepped in front of the redhead , the flickering flames dancing on megara’s fingers nearly burning the skin off lucinda’s face . “ do me a favour and get to the top of the carriage, now preferably... “ the brunette ordered and a cunning smile immediately curved on her face , when a dagger reformed in her hands . “</p>
<p> </p>
<p> lucinda began slashing at those who came close and with brutal strength, she shoved them out of her way getting closer to deevash who had formed into another predator . megara caught on to what lu’s plan had been , she cradled the coachman in her arms, bridal style carried him down elevated platform and rolled him down the small hill . his body hitting against a tree and remained motionless . 𝒔𝒐𝒓𝒓𝒚 she mouthed before leaping back onto the drivers seat, one hand grabbing on to the flag pole for stability and pushing herself onto the roof .</p>
<p>li ann and kyro felt the carriage waver once more , her head tilting upwards at the roof . the boy took the moment of hesitation to his advantage, staggering around and disarming her — the gun clattering onto the ground and just like that li ann was defenceless . . .</p>
<p>without a second thought the raven haired female began punching the air hoping to hit him in the process, then it occurred her . li ann was certain she smelt blood when he first appeared and still did . he was wounded somewhere , but it couldn’t have been his arms ; she felt the grip he had on her , it was tight and swift which means . . . “ damn you ! “ kyro stumbled back after li ann duck down into a squat praying that luck was on her side and dug her fingers into his bleeding shin .</p>
<p>he collapsed onto the seat behind him , lucinda swinging open the door just as he did . kyro wasn’t sure how much time he had left , his eyes caught a glimpse of the chaos outside , specifically the brown alligator snapping its jaw at the raiders . but a choice had to be made ... his faith in the raiders and their cause has faltered over the years , no real friends and certainly no family ... only people who would come and leave, gone like the wind . deep down he wasn’t sure if his loyalties really lied with them or it was something else that made him stay —— maybe it was the protection they granted ? or even the adrenaline . but how long would that last ? he had been trapped for years pointlessly rampaging around with the group ... ravishing in the misery of others , taking their belongings for their group to live in comfort.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>something in him thought maybe ... this group of misfits could give him a purpose , some sort of semblance in his life . but betraying the raiders of ransom lore was a death wish , so will it be worth it ? he glanced at the girl , with the moonlight shining through the opened door he could finally see her . her hazy grey eyes made him sick to his stomach... it was as if li ann was looking through him like a book , flipping through his pages and hearing his every thought .</p>
<p>no . li ann didn’t have the ability to invade the mind of others but sensing their emotions came in the bundle she had been blessed with as a child , powers of greatness and at times a curse to her existence . there was no on and off switch to it ... sometimes it happens and sometimes it doesn’t .</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“ i’m only going to repeat this once more . either you get out or—— “ kryo tightened his grip on lucinda’s collar yanking her inside as he pull himself towards the door , a smooth exchange really ... the brunette tumbled onto the wooden ground her hand knocking aside the revolver . kyro didn’t leave the carriage completely, his hand hooked onto the handle next to the doors lining , he took one last look before stretching his arms and a circle of darkness appeared under a python ( which he assumed was hopefully the shapeshifter) , engulfing it in a matter of seconds . the darkest corner of the carriage regurgitated out the python onto lucinda’s head causing her to groan as the weight hit her .</p>
<p>li ann glanced around confused at the commotion inside the carriage . lucinda plopped the snake down onto the empty seat next to li ann , she got back onto her feet and manoeuvred straight to kyro ... what in the world was this boy doing ?</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Lucinda</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>𝕷ucinda couldn’t remember the last time she genuinely trusted someone , in this world everything was circumstantial . . . people only needed people if they had something good offer , nothing was simply black and white . there was nothing different about this group and the one lucinda had rolled with before , it had a somewhat similar beginning ... except this one was a cruel reminder of everything she lost . the one time she put her heart out and left it vulnerable... everything they built crumbled before her eyes, leaving her empty handed and all alone . she didn’t expect much , it was better this way ... no one gets hurt .</p>
<p> </p>
<p>once they reached the town of ransom lore , lucinda predicted they’d all be on their individual ways . fleeing as far as they could with nothing in their pockets . but what choice did they have ? their home was gone , everyone they knew was ‘gone’ . “ i think we’re getting close . “ the group heard a voice coming through the tiny window connected to the drivers seat , unlike the start of their journey the metal cover was abandoned .</p>
<p> </p>
<p>the brunette looked down at the girl asleep on her lap . megara seemed so at peace , lucinda almost felt guilty for what she was about to do . . . but then again she suppose the redhead could get a little more sleep , since they weren’t technically there yet . “ where do we go from here ? “ deevash questioned while lowering his head to peek through the opening .</p>
<p> </p>
<p>we ? there was no we . . . there shouldn’t be a we . lucinda sighed leaning her head back against the wooden panel, and a soft thud could be heard . “ theres a tavern in town , just cross the cobble bridge and keep heading south , follow the canal . “ kryo directed their new coachman —— the whole idea of having deevash drive the carriage, didn’t exactly sit well with lucinda. . . but he hasn’t sent them tumbling down into a ditch yet so , she’ll give him the benefit of a doubt .</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“ your leg , how is it ? “ lucinda fixed her tired gaze onto the male sitting cross from her , li ann came into view too ; her head slumped against the side , a dark coat draped over her shoulders crossing her chest like a make shift blanket . she snored softly and like megara slept so peacefully . . . it made her wonder what the two of them were dreaming about to be so calm , in a situation so tense .</p>
<p> </p>
<p>kryo shrugged his shoulders , he glanced over to the girl asleep next to him , his eyes lingering before pulling themselves away . li ann did something to his wound , he wasn’t quite sure what ... but the great affliction he suffered vanished . “ it’s a little sore , but nothing a bandage and some elixir can’t fix . “</p>
<p>lucinda nodded her head lazily, she was certain her body was covered in bruises and that honestly sucked ! then again she had suffered worse , this was nothing compared to past injuries . but bruises . . . even the lightest touch made them sting and the bumpy roads of ransom lore wasn’t helping at all .</p>
<p>𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒈𝒖𝒚𝒔 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 ? kyro wanted to ask but he chose not to , he could see it ... she was exhausted but was forcing herself to stay awake ; it was clear lucinda didn’t trust him . why would she ? he was now a traitor of the raiders and before that , he was attacking them . nothing on his current resume looked all that appealing at the moment . at least he was self-aware .</p>
<p>those who were awake remained in silence for the rest of the journey . lucinda kept her eyes at the passing view outside of the carriages window —— ransom lore was certainly no pitstop for sight seeing, in someways it was similar to dearborn but without the rich funding to keep it in tip-top-shape ; there’s a canal that stretched through the town from entrance to exit , brick structured shophouses that lined the pavement , black iron street-lamps that dimly lit the pathways . the water of the canal was murkier than she had remembered, then again the last time lucinda had stepped into ransom lore was twelve years ago .<br/>⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀<br/>the brunette’s expression softened as they passed a toy store , the lights were completely out and the sign that hung on the double doors been flipped to close . kyro caught the furrows between her brows disappearing , and for once he wasn’t intimidated by her . . . she just looked like someone reminiscing about the past .</p>
<p>“ ladies and ... shadowman , we have arrived at our destination. “ deevash rapidly tapped his fingers against the dashboard , creating the sound of drumrolls for dramatic effect .</p>
<p>kyro carefully woke li ann , trying his best not to shock her with the sudden physical contact . “ we’re here ... “ his voice was gentle and raspy , he could really use a glass of water right about now. deevash heard a satisfying click before pulling open the door , after assisting li ann out of the carriage safety kryo lead her into the tavern where it was warmer .</p>
<p>deevash poked his head into the carriage , “ meg . “ lucinda called while giving the redhead on her lap a couple shakes , but no luck ; she was a heavy sleeper both deevash and lucinda concluded . “ give her to me , i’ll carry her in . “ the scruffy hair male offered , and lucinda gather what was left of her strength —— gods ... she could feel her muscles tensing, her arms were like noodles being boiled . lucinda careful shifted megara towards deevash who cradled her .</p>
<p>“ you coming ? “ deevash questioned looking over his shoulder at the brunette still sitting in the carriage . lucinda gave him a hesitant smile “ yeah , just give me a moment ... my legs fell asleep . “ she forced out a laugh . as soon as deevash stepped through the double doors with megara in arm , she dropped the facade , her shoulders dropping and body slumped against the seat cushion.</p>
<p>once she regained control of her legs , lucinda climbed out of the carriage closing the door behind her . a breeze came in carrying the sour smell of the trash infested harbour , causing her nose to scrunch up irritatedly as she stood under the flickering light of the lamp that hung above her . she could see kryo having a conversation with the tavern manager through the hazy window , as well as deevash still towing megara in his arms and li ann sitting on the upholstery her head facing downwards .</p>
<p>lucinda sighed , they’ve made it to their destination . yet none of them had gone hightailing out of there . if anything she expected deevash to be the first , perhaps she underestimated him or maybe it was because he’s just a little tied down at the moment . who knew . . . that boy was filled with surprises so she gathered from their time together .</p>
<p>she could make out an exchange happening at the counter between items , a key for a room she assumed . most motel-tavern owners in dearborn would turn away kids looking to get a room , mostly because they normally cost a leg and arm . it was an expensive town , only the rich dwelled there and some of the less fortunate who didn’t have enough in their pockets to get out .</p>
<p>that was when the realisation finally settled in ... none of them looked older than twenty , then again lucinda has learnt to never judge a book by its cover . personally lucinda was sixteen , turning seventeen in a couple weeks not that it really mattered ... she stopped celebrating birthdays after her 14th one ; the party that year was a little lower class than she was used to , no ice statues, no cake with more than four layers , no fancy dress and jewelled shoes and the gifts didn’t come in swarms . . . but it had been the best one ever . no one to impressed and no waltzing ! that itself was a win for lucinda, she absolutely hated dancing .</p>
<p>while being in a trance and sinking into her thoughts , lucinda didn’t even notice the male standing in front of her waving a key in her face . “ day dreaming in the middle of ransom lore is dangerous, might get mugged without even noticing . “ kyro reeled the female back into reality, there went her chance to disappear into the night without being noticed . lucinda was certain if she had bolted off now , kyro would easily catch up to her . . . in her defence! she was exhausted and her limbs were pretty sore .</p>
<p>“ chop chop “ kyro prompted as he began to feel occasionally droplets of water cascading from the cloudy night sky . “ i was just leaving . “ lucinda said sticking her hands into the pocket of her crimson leather cloak . “ to where ? home ? “ his words stung her ears — she had no home to return to , not in dearborn and not in ransom lore . both were stripped away from her and ever since then , she had just moved from places to places .</p>
<p>“ somewhere . “ she proposed, kyro let out a chuckle which automatically gained a disapproving look from lucinda . “ there is a comfortable bed up there for you , fred hooked us up with some fresh clothes and theres free breakfast in the morning . that sounds /way/ better than ‘somewhere’ . “ he tried to convince her , but both lucinda and kyro knew it was gonna take a lot more than that .</p>
<p>the idea of falling asleep on something that wasn’t hard and had spiders crawling out of the crevices , sounded really tempting . “ stay the night and leave in the morning . “ kyro added , it sounded more like a command than a suggestion .</p>
<p>the two climbed up the spiral staircase of the tavern up to the third floor , it was the only room in the entire place that could hold more than two people . it was technically an attic with two bunk beds on each side , an upholstery a victim to time and a oak table in the center with four chairs around it . dust particles cascaded from the slanted roof , the ray of the moonlight shined through the glass panel above, it was a rather sad excuse for an observatory .</p>
<p>the first thing lucinda spotted when entering the attic was megara on the lower bunk , her arms wrapped around li ann as they slept together ; it was a light hearted moment she must admit . . . deevash was no where to be seen , he must’ve been cleaning himself up she assumed . the shirt she remembered him in earlier was hung on the upholstery and his shoes were laying on the ground along with greyish socks . kyro pulled up the retractable stairs , wrapping the chains around the hook preventing it from unfolding back down . once he made sure the entrance to their room was locked , kyro felt as if he could finally relax.</p>
<p>“ you can take the top bunk “ kyro gestured to the one with li ann and megara occupying the bottom, lucinda nodded seeing a stack of fresh clothes on the dresser . she dragged her finger across the dresser’s surface till her hand collided with the fabrics , they felt so soft and smelt like cinnamon with a hint of cigarettes in the mix .</p>
<p>“ whose next ? “ deevash asked stepping out of the bathroom , a trail of steam escaped behind him . he had a maroon t-shirt slung over his shoulder , a towel wrapped around his lower torso and beads of water dripping down his chest . lucinda averted her eyes while picking up her respective stack of clothing and hurrying inside the bathroom, shutting the door behind her locking it .</p>
<p>“ huh , that was the first time a girl shunned my godly craved packs . “ deevash mumbled in disbelief . kyro shook his head and laughed walking towards the other bunk “ i’m calling the top . “ deevash cussed under his breath rolling his eyes , “ you snooze you lose “ kyro teased before undoing the other buttons of his white collared shirt .</p>
<p> </p>
<p>the walls were spectacularly thin here , lucinda could hear every single word shared between the boys and it was vaguely entertaining . she looked at herself through the mirror , geez ... she was a mess . the cut across her nose from a bar fight she had last week was still recovering, there was a bruise on the right side of her jaw ; an injury she got from this eventful evening . the bags beneath her eyes weren’t any better , she really needed sleep .</p>
<p>lucinda lifted the tap and watched as oddly clear water began rushing down the faucet , she cupped her hands underneath collecting a hand-full of water before lowering her face and splashing it clean . taking a shower under the sunflower faucet , the water levels building up in the tub she stood in was much better than taking a dip in the dearborn river , no matter how clean it was the feeling was absolutely degrading. especially knowing some creep was hidden in the darkness watching her ... at least the people in dearborn had the decency of not attacking unsuspecting women who were alone .</p>
<p>lucinda dressed herself with the new clothes , an oversized blue button up and matching pants with white stripes around the ankle cuffs . she left the bathroom with her drenched hair wrapped with a towel , her old clothes folded neatly in one arm and combat boots in the other . deevash greeted lucinda at the door and rushed back into the bathroom without a second to waste , “ whats up with him ? “</p>
<p>“ when you gotta go , you gotta go “ kyro shrugged . lucinda nodded tiredly and plopped her clothes into the basket with a sign that read ‘ for wash ‘ attached to it . kyro tossed his shirt at lucinda from across the room , her reflexes proving incredibly accurate and affective even when she was on the verge of collapsing from exhaustion. “ i’m not your maid and i sure as hell ain’t your friend , this “ she gestured to around the room with one swift motion , “ is circumstantial . “ lucinda added shoving his shirt into the basket .</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“ mhmm “ kyro hummed , his legs kicked up on the upholstery’s arm rest . “ the situation in dearborn isn’t sounding so good ... some say it might spread to obsidian and then here . “ lucinda paused , word of the divine one’s reign travelled fast —— and gods did she hate that stupid name , it was ridiculous, giving him a name only validated his power even more . “ someone will figure it out . “ lucinda replied removing the towel from her head and hanging it on the coat hanger . “ and what if they don’t ? “ gosh was he good at getting under her skin . . .</p>
<p>“ then ... “ lucinda trailed off , she didn’t want to continue anymore and faked a yawn but a real one followed soon after . “ well , that is a sign for me to hit the sack . goodnight .... “ the brunette turned to him realising she never asked for his name , “ jasper . “ he said pursing his lips afterwards .</p>
<p>“ goodnight , casper . "</p>
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